Abby's New Partner
by Cluny the Warlord 1992
Summary: Zane Maxwell is Abby's new seemingly super human partner, how will the gothic forensics scientist adjust to a thirteen year old super human? Read and Review. My first NCIS fic hope you like it.
1. The New Special Agent

It was Tuesday and Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs was sitting at his desk, sipping his morning coffee looking over a dossier for a new member of the NCIS unit. The member's name was Zane Maxwell, a thirteen-year-old boy with an incredible profile. "DiNozzo." He gestured to Anthony DiNozzo, the team's senior field agent, to look at Zane's dossier.

"Uh, yeah Boss?" Tony asked, "What is it?"

"Take a look at this kid's records." Gibbs said; rather intrigued. "I've never seen anything like this before, it says that he has a sense of smell not found in normal humans, he is faster than anyone in the military, he is more like an animal than a human in combat, need I go on?"

"He does sound impressive," pronounced Mossad officer Ziva David, "but he probably has a lot of things wrong with him that makes him that way."

"Actually," Gibbs corrected his teammate; "I looked through his medical records last night, there's literally nothing wrong with him. He's been like this since he…"

"…Was born. And I've never stopped improving since." The team looked in the direction of a rather young voice. It came from a boy with black hair, a red cap, studded wristbands, a Metallica t-shirt, and black and red jeans covering a pair of black hiking boots. "And incase you're wondering I've gone up against a Mossad officer, hand to hand, no weapons used."

"Oh no." Timothy McGee said, "It's like a more intense and younger version of Gibbs."

DiNozzo dropped the dossier in shock, "That's scary."

"Get used to it." Zane scoffed, "I'll grow on you soon, got it memorized?"

"Talk about your déjà vu." Gibbs said recalling how cruel Ari, Ziva's brother who had killed one of his agents in the field, had been only to realize that Zane could be worse than the, now deceased, sniper formerly known as Ziva's brother.

Zane was now smiling with his eyes closed, "I can detect a small bit worry in your thoughts Boss." He said in a somewhat reassuring voice, "But don't worry, I just need someone to point me in the direction of the forensics laboratory."

"I'll take him down Gibbs." Tim McGee, otherwise known as Probie, said.

"Well I think that's a good idea McGeek," DiNozzo said, "that way you'll be more acquainted with the new Probie."

Zane swiftly spun with a sweeping motion of his legs and dealt a hard, loud, smack in between DiNozzo's shoulder blades, sending the senior field agent to his knees. Tony found himself being lifted up by the collar of his shirt into the face of an angered Zane, "Call me Probie one more time and I'll paralyze you." The teen growled.

Zane let DiNozzo go, and he turned from icon of fear to the embodiment of kindness. "Your stronger than a bison." Ziva stated.

"The phrase is 'strong as an ox." Zane corrected the Israeli assassin, "And yes I am, and as far as I can see you're definitely better in the field than me." He gave Ziva a wink.

--

Abby Sciuto, the peppy Goth in the forensics laboratory, was dreading getting a new assistant. She was still trying to forget the last one she had, the little weasel had been trying to get rid of DiNozzo since he'd joined, but she had to try to roll with the punches as best she could. "Abby your new assistant is here." McGee said walking into the lab.

"Why me, McGee?" Abby asked spinning around looking stressed out, "I told, begged, and pleaded the director and Gibbs not to give me an assistant. Now here they go throwing an assistant on me."

"Well I apologize for wanting to be your partner," Zane said leaning on the door to the lab, "if only someone had told me that you didn't want an assistant I would've reconsidered."

"And just who are you?" Abby asked looking at the boy who was exactly the same height as her.

"I'm Zane," He said, "Zane Maxwell, some call me Zane the Insane and some other things. But like it or not, I'm your new partner."

"Can you do as your told?" Abby asked raising an eyebrow.

"I'll do anything you ask, except bow to you or anyone else." Zane commented back.

"Snappy attitude, smart comeback, and sternness." Abby noted, "I like you already."

"That's the kind of stuff that most of the idiots I come in contact with hate me for." Zane laughed.

"I can see why," McGee said, "you put DiNozzo on his knees with just one slap."

"He shouldn't have called me Probie, McGeek." Zane sneered, "And you'd also better watch it, don't go calling me anything other than Zane," He clenched his fists, "or else."

"I think you should tell me how old you are first." Abby said placing her hand on Zane's shoulder.

"I'm thirteen," Zane replied, "And I don't like takin' crap for causing pain to someone who deserved it in the first place."

"I can see why Gibbs didn't turn you away." Abby smiled, "you've got a lotta guts."

"And a lot of nerve for someone so young." Gibbs said walking into the lab.

"Howdy boss," Zane smiled without turning around, "just gettin' acquainted with the lady in charge."

"Good to hear that," Gibbs said, "well you can finish getting acquainted later."

Zane put his first two fingers on his head and said, "I'm seeing, I'm seeing, a new assignment for Abby and my starter."

"Yup, so grab some gear." Gibbs said, "because you and Abby are going to be examining the scene with us."

Abby's jaw dropped, "Gibbs are you serious?" she asked excitedly.

"Yes," Gibbs turned to Zane and said, "I'm guessing that this won't be your first crime scene."

"Right you are my man." Zane replied, "I've been to five scenes and have even identified the age of the corpses at each one, very accurately I might add."

"We'll see." McGee said as he followed his comrades out the door.

"Indeed you shall, McGee," Zane smiled slyly, "indeed you shall."


	2. Zane's Secrets

Police had secured the area when Gibbs and his team had arrived. Doctor Mallard or Ducky as the other members of the unit had dubbed him, Jimmy Palmer and Zane walked over to the victims and Zane could immediately spot the cause of death. "Hey, Ducky," Zane motioned to the British autopsy specialist, "how many mutilation victims have you dealt with since you joined the unit?"

"I don't really know," Ducky scratched his chin, "why do you ask?"

Zane crouched and leaned forward on his fists, he sniffed the air just above the first body, "I think that we might have a mutilation victim in front of us," He placed his hand on the ground and felt footprints that lead away from the mutilated figure, "There's another body in that direction," he pointed towards a bush to the East of the scene. "Our other vic must've been chased," he said looking back at the ground to find another, non-human, set of prints, "and what ever chased him was large and fast," He picked up soil and sniffed it. He shuddered, "And it weren't lookin' fer no picnic baskets neither." He stated in a southern drawl, "Seems to me like we've got ourselves a couple of Kodiak victims."

"But they're not at all native to this area." Ducky replied.

"That's why these hunters had one imported." Zane frowned, "They imported a Kodiak from a zoo somewhere in the country. When they received it, they did something to it to make it go berserk and then set it out into the wild. After it got dark enough to make it more sporty, the vics went out into the night to try to kill their quarry." He felt the deep claw marks on the mutilated victim's arm, "Only this moron and his dim-witted friend didn't clip Yogi's nails before they began the thrill of the hunt."

"How you know that it's from a zoo and not fresh from the wild?" Gibbs asked as he sipped his coffee.

Zane, as if by magic pulled out a pair of tweezers in his pocket, he always carried them with him because nine times out of ten he became part of investigation on some equivalent of a crime scene, and plucked a hair from the tracks. He pulled a brown hair that had belonged to the Kodiak and said, "This is the kind of hair that a Kodiak would have in captivity, "It's shorter than the normal length of Kodiak fur. The bear in question was groomed to survive in a warmer climate."

"That would explain a lot." Gibbs said, "Brilliant observation, Zane."

"But how are you so certain that it's a Kodak?" Ziva asked as she walked over and looked at the corpse.

"First of all Z," Zane said, "It's pronounced Kodiak." He turned back to the tracks, "Secondly these prints are too big to belong to a Grizzly and definitely not small enough belong to belong to a Black Bear. And finally, the Kodiak is something that can kill a man like this and leave gashes this deep." He looked at the tracks and saw blood, obviously belonging to the bear, leading in the same direction. As the second vic. "I do know one thing." Zane said.

"And what, pray tell, would that be, Zane?" Ducky asked.

"These two hunters and the Kodiak weren't the only living organisms out here." Zane replied.

"What makes you say something like that?" Palmer asked.

"There's a spray of blood leading towards where our mass of Kodiak food is." Zane said.

"Well before we jump to conclusions," Abby said, "can we conclude how long this body's been here?"

"Oh that's an easy one," Zane said as he leaned in and gave another sniff, "our John Doe has been dead for… ten hours, give or take thirty minutes at the most."

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Ducky said, "But we won't know for sure, if…"

"If… you need… anything on this guy," The second hunter said as the paramedics brought him over in a stretcher, "I'll tell you. The kid's ab… solutely right; we were… attacked by the… Kodiak ten hours ago."

Zane felt a sense of pride run through him, he looked at the man and asked, "What's your name sir?"

"Jim Carson," The hunter said, "and… my friend's name is Sam Hoffmann." After he'd said his friend's name he fell unconscious.

"Give this man the best treatment you can," Zane said to the paramedics.

"Why?" Ziva questioned.

"Because, he's the only living victim from this scene." Zane replied.

"Zane's right, Ziva," Gibbs said, "Jim's the only soul survivor of this massacre making him more valuable than any eyewitness."

"Now if you're quiet finished with your conversation on the survivor, Zane," Ducky said, "I'd like to get a look at the Kodiak in question, shall we have a look?"

"Bring it on Duck." Zane said, "I've never examined an animal involved in a killing before."

"Then prepare to be grossed out beyond belief." Abby laughed.

"I've seen Silent Hill three times, Abs," Zane said, "I think I can handle dissecting a Kodiak after it's mauled a human."

"You've seen Silent Hill three times?" DiNozzo asked, "That's an R-rated movie, how did you get your hands on it?"

"My dad and Jodelle Ferland's family are good friends." Zane said, "I met her at her sixth birthday party and we hit it off like that. When the movie came out she sent me a copy and I paid her back by sending her a locket with a picture of her mom in it."

"That explains a lot," Abby said, "are there any other celebrities that you are friends with?"

"I'm friends with AnnaSophia Robb and Miley Cyrus," Zane said, "I met AnnaSophia at my first crime scene, she was walking by and I just happened to bump into her by accident, she gave me my set of tweezers. I met Miley when I moved to California and was passing by the Disney Studios where they were shooting Hannah Montana and I saw her walking in and asked her for an autograph, we met several times after that and I scored her e-mail address."

"You're just full of surprises aren't you?" Abby asked.

"You just wish that you were me." Zane replied.

Abby just looked at the thirteen year old and knocked him over the back of his head, "Don't be so full of yourself." She said.

"I'm starting to have one of those what the frik am I doing moments." Zane laughed as they headed to the Kodiak corpse.


	3. Zane the Insane

Zane, Ziva, Ducky, McGee, Abby, and DiNozzo were following the trail of the Kodiak who had mauled a hunter who'd been part of a hunt that required an imported animal. Half way through their progression, Zane started to lose consciousness, "I knew I was missing something," He reached into a pocket on his pants and pulled out a can of Amp Energy, his early morning pick up, and popped the top, "I forgot this."

"What's so important about an energy drink, Zane?" Gibbs asked as he caught up with the group.

"Some people drink coffee in the morning, some people drink tea, and some drink caffeinated drinks," Zane replied, "I forgot my cup of green tea this morning so I have to drink this in order to stay awake." The thirteen-year-old Junior Field Agent chugged the entire energy drink in less than a minute.

"Okay, your liver's gonna be impaling you later with the high amounts of caffeine you just chugged." Ducky said.

Zane smiled and said, "Ducky, I always chug these things when I'm working in the field, and the caffeine does absolutely nothing to my liver." The group continued on until they found they found the Kodiak. Zane took one look and knew that something was not right with the scene.

Ziva continued only to be blocked by Zane's arm, "What's wrong?" She asked.

"Somethin' doesn't seem right." Zane replied. He motioned for the rest of the group to stay where they were. He then crept close to the bear so he could get a better look. He looked carefully at its throat; it was rising and falling like normal. Zane's eyes widened. He backed away until he was standing right next to Gibbs. Zane looked at his comrade and said, "We've got ourselves a need for Animal Control."

"Why?" DiNozzo asked.

"Because Yogi here is still breathing." Zane replied, "I was within five yards, half as much as I need to know whether or not someone or something is still breathing, and I could see his throat moving as air flowed into his chest."

"Then why did you get within five yards if you could tell that it was breathing from ten yards away?" McGee asked.

"The friggin' Kodiak's in a thicket McGeek." Zane said, "I couldn't get a good visual through the foliage so I had to get in a little closer."

"How did it survive the night?" Ducky asked.

"Let's see," Zane said going into a false sense of confusion, "the bear felt pain as it was injured by our mysterious fourth party. The bear became overwhelmed and enraged and attacked Jim Carson. After running this distance the loss of blood and the physical fatigue from running such a distance. It passed out due to the trauma it suffered from the wound and we'll need to carefully move it away from here so none of our agents get hurt."

"Okay, Zane," DiNozzo asked, "who died and put you in charge?"

"Do you mean to tell me that you're willing to put yourself in the same position as Mr. Carson, Tony?" Zane asked. "If that's the case, then you need to stop doing that moron thing called thinking."

"Zane's right, Tony." Ziva remarked, "That bear would turn you into 'cat meat' before you'd be able to do anything."

"The phrase is 'dog meat,' Ziva," Zane and Tony said in unison.

"Whatever." Ziva said, blowing it off like she usually did when her co-workers corrected her, "The point is that you'll be mauled if you go too close to that bear…"

"Zane, call animal control, tell them to…" Gibbs looked at the new member of the team and had no time to finish giving his order.

"Already done boss," Zane said, "they'll be here as soon as possible."

"Good job," Gibbs patted the Junior Agent's shoulder, "your dossier was right when it said that you cared about those people around you more than yourself."

--

Back at the lab, Abby grabbed a remote and flipped on the large surround sound stereo system that she'd installed and began playing the entire album of 'Fallen' by Evanescence, Zane recognized it off the bat, "Ah, 'Fallen' by Evanescence," he said, "a good choice Abby."

"You know Evanescence, Zane?" Abby asked.

"I should." answered Zane, "I've been pen pals with Amy Lee for years. I've got all of the CDs."

"Do you have 'The Open Door'?" Abby questioned.

"Heck yeah," The punk rock metal head replied pulling the album out of his pants pocket, "I received this bad boy, like a month before it came out."

Abby placed the samples of hair that Zane had retrieved from the scene into the mass spectrometer and turned to Zane, "How did you get Amy Lee as a pen pal?" She asked as she started up the machine. "Her address is like a rarity in and of itself."

"I guess I made the rare draw in second grade," Zane said, "My class had a drawing to select celebrity pen pals, my friend Jake got Rob Zombie. Donnie drew Lars Ulrich. Tina came up with James Hetfield, and I ended up with Amy Lee."

"By the way," Abby said as she examined the data from the mass spectrometer, "why do they call you Zane the Insane?"

Zane slammed his hand onto his forehead, "You're not the first person to ask me that." He said, "I got into a fight with a gang member, when I was only ten years old I made the mistake of walking through a bad part of town on a Friday night and some drunk said he'd kill me if I didn't run."

"What did you do?" Abby asked.

"I ran." Zane replied, "I ran right into him and started pounding his ribs until I lost all control and began beating on his skull. I picked the pathetic piece of crap that threatened me up by the collar of his shirt, and I threw him headfirst into a dumpster."

"I never heard about this," Abby said.

"That's because I rushed him to a hospital after I realized what had happened," Zane said, "After that I started seeing a psychiatrist and now I know how to control it."

Gibbs walked in and said, "Good, let's hope the ends of your sanity are perfectly unfrayed." He jerked the lab test results from the spectrometer out of Abby's hands. "How goes the research, you two?" he asked.

"I've got no idea, Boss," Zane said, "those test results are the only lead we have into this case."

"Have you been able to investigate the crime scene any further?" Gibbs asked.

"No such luck, Gibbs," Zane replied, "Tony and Ziva called earlier. The guys from Animal Control won't let anyone near the scene; typical."

"Will they have a problem with you there?" Abby asked.

"Nope," Zane replied, "I've dealt with these guys before," he removed the lab coat and left, "I'll be back. Keep analyzing the evidence 'til I return."

"He is almost like you and DiNozzo, Gibbs." Abby said as she looked at Gibbs with a small grin on her face.

"God I hope not." Gibbs replied.


	4. A New Twist

Zane had taken his time returning to the crime scene, traffic was murder but it lightened up as he got closer to the crime scene. He was riding a motorcycle with to front wheels mounted in the same wheel well. Instead of a helmet, being that he was extremely perceptive of the constant changes in traffic, he wore a pair of aviator style goggles and a pair of black leather gloves, as well as a fringed black leather jacket. When he got to the crime scene, the first thing he looked for was Ziva and Tony. He walked up to them and became as casual as possible, "What's goin' on here?" He asked lifting up his goggles.

"Well," Tony said, "the guys for animal control are taking the bear in and denying us any kind of interaction with it."

Zane looked over at the two people handling the bear, "Yeah," he said, "they do have a tendency to be like that." He focused mainly on the two handlers who seemed to be agitating the Kodiak and getting it into a further state of anger. "Hold on just a minute with that bear." He said walking over to the two specialists.

"Why should we listen to some punk kid?" One of the specialists asked.

"Because," Zane said flipping out his NCIS badge, "that bear, seeing that it was involved with in incident; it would be considered a living witness of the things that occurred here, right, guys?" He asked looking over his shoulder at Ziva and DiNozzo.

"That would be correct." Ziva replied.

"The only question is," Tony said cautiously, "where are we going to find someone who understands what the heck this bear saw?"

"That's a good point, Tony." Ziva remarked.

"Well," Zane said, "I guess I'm worth more to you guys than you might think. I took like five weeks worth of Animal Psychology when I lived in LA."

"At what college campus," The second specialist asked, "I don't think they'd take on a kid in a room full of young adults."

"I didn't physically go to a campus," Zane smirked, "I was home schooled by a family friend."

"Can't argue with that logic," Tony chuckled, "what do you say, guys? Will you give us custody of that Kodiak?"

"Or will you risk being mauled like the victims?" Ziva asked.

"Actually, Ziva," Zane commented, "the victims weren't mauled, they mutilated."

"How can you tell the difference between the two?" Ziva asked.

"Mutilations are gorier," Zane replied, "so to speak." At that moment Zane's phone started to ring, his ringtone was the fanfare heard in the Final Fantasy victory theme. "Go ahead Boss," He said after he opened his phone, "I'm all ears."

When Zane, Tony, and Ziva returned to the office building, Gibbs was waiting for them, "Is the issue solved?" He asked.

"They were like clay when Zane here told them he was a qualified as an Animal Psychologist." DiNozzo said. "We're now open for an animal interrogation."

"Good," Gibbs said, "Zane, when's the earliest you can…" he paused, "…WHAT?"

"Boss don't worry," Zane said calming Gibbs down, "I'm qualified as one, I took a college level coarse on the subject, all I need is a book on the subject and BAM, my memory will get my mind functioning on the subject like it was yesterday."

"Is that why the kid with the wicked bike…" DiNozzo remarked.

"It's a Japanese import from my friends at the Yamaha Motorcycle Corporation," Zane interrupted, "they gave it to me as a gift."

"A gift for what, might I ask?" Ziva asked.

"I was a bodyguard for Utada Hikaru." Zane said.

"Really, Zane," McGee asked, "that's amazing, how'd they get you on a highly popular person like her?"

"With someone whose genealogy can be traced back to the main armies of Ancient Scotland and Japan, it's kind of hard not to, McGee." Zane replied. "How have things been here with Abby while I was gone?"

Zane headed into Abby's lab, and noticed she was listening to music through her big headphones. Being a second natured prankster he sneaked around Abby's equipment desk crouched under her range of vision, jumped up and said, "HI BOSS!"

Abby was freaked out by this, "Gah, Zane where'd you come in from?" She said gasping in shock.

"Hmm, let's see, I walked in through the door." He replied.

"No way," Abby said as she removed her head phones, "if you did I would've heard or seen you."

"That's why I used to go by, Death Wraith, when I was a kid," The teen smirked, "I sneak around like a cat and scare the living immortal crap outta people." He walked around the work station and said, "So what'd you find?"

"Well…" Abby said thinking of how to word her response.

"Boss," Zane said raising his goggles, "I can understand the intricate workings of how evidence is processed, don't skip any details.

"Okay, first of all, call me Abby," She said, it's what I prefer. Second off, I found a few traces of nearly microscopic level hallucinogens in the bear's blood."

"Heh," Zane sighed, "so the momma bear was drugged. I'm going through countless scenarios and all directions lead me to think this intentional man slaughter by the dude on bed rest."

"Are you sure?" Ziva asked as she entered the room, "I'm coloring a blank on this."

"I think you mean drawing a blank." DiNozzo said coming in behind Ziva, "That's the phrase."

"Whatever," Ziva snapped, "all I can think of leads to a blank."

"We can't be too sure until we get more information." Gibbs said walking in, "But so far I think Zane's theory is a good one to go with."

"But Agent Gibbs," Zane perked up and yawned, "this is a theory out of me chugging a drink loaded down on caffeine and sugar, I may be just rambling on about God knows whatever pops into my head."

"Then get something that'll help keep you energized," Abby said, "I can't have a burned out match stick for a lab assistant. Grab a Caf-Pow for us."

"Tell you what," Zane yawned, "I'll get you a Caf-Pow, and I'll get a cup of tea for myself."

"Gotcha." Abby replied.

Zane walked out of the room and started holding his head, "Ugh, why do I always get headaches when the caffeine wears off?" he asked himself.

"Zane's gonna fit right in with the way he thinks," DiNozzo said.

"You like him because he's more of a movie snuff than you are." Ziva said.

DiNozzo looked at her, "The proper term is movie buff, Ziva. And yes, I actually like his taste in movies, I mean someone like him running movie references into this situation can fit in with anyone."

"ZIP IT MORON!" Zane shouted from the stair well.

Gibbs couldn't help but grin when he heard this from a thirteen year old saying what he would've said if he were slightly younger. "I think he'll fit in just fine Ziva."

Gibbs' phone rang he answered only to hear two words from Zane, "Thanks boss."

"I take it he's got all our numbers memorized, Boss." DiNozzo asked.

Suddenly his phone rang, all he heard on the other end was Zane, "You said it, not me, DiNumbskull."

"He's amazing," Abby squealed, "he's not like most kids that age."

Zane walked into the room with a rack of two Star Buck's coffee cups and a Caf-Pow, "Thanks Abby, that means a lot," he handed her the Caf-Pow, "I believe this is your preference." He handed Gibbs the first coffee cup, "I got you the good stuff, black, no cream, no sugar, just coffee."

"I was hoping you'd do that," Gibbs said.

"Cheers," Zane said taking a coffee cup filled with green tea, "so Abby, I'm ready to hear the results of the analysis."

Abby took a gulp of the cherry flavored caffeine loaded drink before going into the subject, "Brace yourselves," she grinned typing the data into the computer, "because you are gonna be in for a shock." She pulled up the data from her mass spectrometer and put it on the screen. "This is what mamma bear was given to make her the top game animal at the scene."

Zane skimmed it over, "Holy crap," he said with disbelief, "never in my life have I seen an animal that stoned. This is the biggest cocktail of tranquilizers, narcotics, hallucinogens, and other assorted Bravo Sierra in forensics history. I mean that poor bear's lucky to be alive with that high grade stuff swimming around in her blood."

Gibbs looked at Zane, "You're that much of an animal lover?"

Zane looked back at Gibbs, "I come from a Pagan turned Christian family, Boss," He sipped his tea, "your connection with the creations of Mother Earth and the Lord, our God, never fade from your life once you convert, you just can't drop the things you grew up with. H'it ain't in the genes to ferget the important policies and quid pro quos of a religion, part of it stays with you after changing faith and it's up to you to pass it on to the next generation."

"I suppose animalistic nature is a good trait, right?" DiNozzo asked.

"You betcher sweet bippy it is DiNozzo." Zane replied, "The ways of my druid ancestry actually came out perfectly in me. I delved a little further into it than the other members of my family did."

"So you're almost super human?" Abby asked.

"Bingo!" Zane called.

"Focus, Zane," Gibbs said slapping Zane on the back of his head, "look up some background information on the two victims."

"Up to the day they were given life?" Zane asked.

"If it helps with our investigation, then yes," Gibbs replied sipping his coffee.

Zane turned to Abby and said, "Ok boss, let's get crackin'."

Abby smiled and said, "You got it." Zane and Abby each slid on a pair of gloves and got to work analyzing the evidence.

"I call bullet analysis." Zane said.

"We need to find the bullet first, Zane." Abby replied, "We'll need to get the bullet…"

Zane produced two evidence jars from the pocket of his leather jacket and asked Abby with a smile on his face, "Which do you want? The one from the Kodiak, or the one from the walking all you can eat rib buffet?"

"How did you get those?" Abby asked.

"I can kill someone without slowing down, and I can gather evidence using speeds previously possible in superhero comic books." Zane said in what seemed like a single breath.

"Ok, so while we're conducting the analysis on this mystery," Abby smiled, "I can get to know you, and you can get to know me." Zane grabbed his laptop from a bag he'd picked up before he had reached the crime scene to take the bear into custody and started looking up information on the two men involved in the shooting.

"Whoa," Zane said, "You have to be pulling my leg here."

"About what, Zane?" Gibbs asked as he walked up to him.

"I found out why those guys were on the base," Zane said, "the guy who's in autopsy is a Marine Corps Drill Sergeant and his friend is the husband of a Gunnery Sergeant, Liana Carson." He looked at Gibbs in the face, "It says that Sam and Liana were friends, 'til the Gunny found and married…" his hands and face froze, the file on Jim Carson had made Zane's face twist with anger, "… a scum-bag poacher, named Jim Carson."

"A poacher," Abby turned around, "the living victim is a poacher?"

"Yeah, a real sleaze-pit too," Zane growled, "his record says that he was arrested for hunting and killing the most dangerous animals known to man and selling the remains on the black market. God, I hate poachers."

"Why's that, Zane?" Gibbs asked.

Zane reached into his shirt and pulled out a pentagram and a rosary, "I come from a Pagan-turned-Catholic family," he said, "with a strong dislike for those destroying the harmony of nature and God." The boy looked at the file on Carson and said, "Boss, I want you to give this man the worst and most mentally destructive interrogation that you can muster."

"I'll interrogate him, Zane," Gibbs said calmly, "but there are limitations to the intensity I'm allowed to display."

"Dang it," Zane snorted, "and I'm not gonna let this case go. Curse my Druid ancestors and their ways."

"Wait," Abby said, "what does this have to do with the case?"

"My thoughts exactly," Gibbs said walking out, "let me know what you find"

"Roger that." Zane replied. He and Abby started processing the evidence, and getting to know each other more of Caf-Pow and tea.

Back in the Squad Room, Tony was skimming through Zane's dossier and found out about the boy's past, when he came to a grizzly incident, "Ziva!"

Ziva looked over at him, "What? Can't you see I'm trying to be productive? I don't want Gibbs to give me the shoe."

"The phrase is 'give you the boot,'" DiNozzo said, "but that's beside the point. I found this piece of info on Zane. It seems he went on a rampage in a town in Israel three years ago."

Ziva looked up wide eyed with shock, "My father told me about that. He said that a young boy broke out of the base of operations for a corrupted Mossad cell. They had captured him thinking they could get secrets on the Black-Ops units looking for Osama Bin-Laden. They mentally crippled him until he went into a frenzy of rage."

"Says here," DiNozzo read, "that Zane suffers from insanity and bestial frenzies of rage if he's tortured."

"The boy broke free and started slaughtering the corrupted cell inside the hidden compound and broke into the streets of the town above. Only he was greeted by members of the cell who started shooting at him trying to weaken him physically, but the boy charged them causing them to scatter throughout the city."

"Will charge at random when frenzied," DiNozzo continued, "so it says."

"He ran like an animal, butchering any member of the cell he could catch off guard, until he charged a little girl who screamed, he suddenly stopped and began twitching, until he shrieked in pain and fell to the ground convulsing until he blacked out."

"Will collapse, after being frenzied for an extended period of time," DiNozzo finished, "seems he comes from a once Pagan family who took to all things Druid, only the lighter stuff, not the dark arts or satanic evil crap that is seen in an extreme Goth."

"Reading up on the newest addition to our forensics team, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked walking in front of Tony in a path to his desk. Tony looked across at Ziva as if to say _Help me out here!_

Ziva looked over at Gibbs, "Yes," she said calmly.

DiNozzo scrunched his face in a typical, "Some help you turned out to be," fashion. "Like Officer David said, Boss," he said trying not to groan.

"Find anything interesting about him?" Gibbs said looking at his computer screen; he was skimming through the data that Zane had found and looking for the file on his wife. "McGee!" He said to Tim without taking his eyes off the screen.

"Yes, Boss?" McGee replied.

"Call the hospital and see when Jim Carson will be conscious so we can do an interview." Gibbs said.

"I'm on it." McGee said dialing the hospital.

Suddenly, the plasma screen behind Gibbs switched to a live feed from the forensics lab. "Hey, Boss," Zane said through the microphone attachment on his laptop, "we lifted a print from our failed Fudd's gun."

"Fudd, Zane?" Gibbs asked.

"As in Elmer Fudd, the hunter with the speech impediment from Looney Tunes." Zane replied doing a near perfect rendition of Elmer Fudd's iconic laugh. "Anyways," he continued, "Abby and I, well mainly Abby, found a complete hand print on Jim Carson's 12 gauge shotgun; turns out it belongs to Carson, the print that is."

"What about the gun, Tex?" DiNozzo asked.

"Keep your suit on, DiNutjob," Zane snarled, "the gun was once part of the stock of the Quantico armory. I was just about to call the base and say we found it and that we need it for our case."

"How'd Carson get access to the armory?" Ziva asked.

"That's the corpse that came to life." Zane said, "You guys may need to dig into that four course meal and find out. 'Cause forensics is tied to the evidence like a prisoner on a pirate ship."

"Grab your gear everyone." Gibbs called to the team. He turned to the monitor, "Zane…"

"はい、ボスHai, bosu?" Zane asked in Japanese (his second language).

"… Good work." Gibbs smiled.


	5. The Plot Gets Thicker

Gibbs had gone to the hospital to interview Jim Carson about Sam Hofmann. He walked into the room seeing Carson awake. Carson looked over to Gibbs and said, "Agent Gibbs, how's the investigation going?"

Gibbs pulled a hospital chair up close to Carson's bed and sat down, "Well, it's not looking to good for your friend, seeing as how he's a poacher." He said.

"Yeah," Carson sighed, "his wife wasn't proud when she found out about that." He stared up at the ceiling of his room and continued, "Before he died, he said he was willing to change for his wife, Liana."

"Well it obviously didn't leave his system that easily, ordering an animal from a zoo using falsified permits and requests is illegal." Gibbs said.

"Yeah," Jim said, "I tried to tell him it was wrong, but he kept saying it was only wrong if we got caught."

"Well you got caught, all right." Gibbs half laughed.

"I'm willing to pay the time Agent Gibbs." Carson said.

"I know." Gibbs replied.

"I'll face the discharge too," Carson added, "the Corps doesn't need people like me. I messed up, and now I need to pay for it." He looked at Gibbs and asked, "Is that good enough to wrap things up here, sir?"

"No," Gibbs said, "no, it's far from over…" before Gibbs could continue his phone rang, "…yeah, Gibbs." It was Abby and Zane, "Okay, on my way." He hung up and looked at Hofmann and said, "It looks like we might very well save your military career Mr. Hofmann."

* * *

"Alrighty," Abby said, "Zane and I were mapping out the crime scene, when we ran across something hinky in the way things played out."

"Like what?" Gibbs asked.

"Zane, if you please." Abby requested.

"Certainly," Zane replied, "well Boss, as you already know, I have heightened senses that make me an excellent tracker."

"And," Gibbs asked, "how's that relevant?"

"Hold your horses there, Cowboy," Zane said, "the point is, I picked up a third human scent among the carnage at the scene."

"There were several human scents around the scene." Gibbs replied.

"But these scents were on the body, it was Hofmann, Carson, and possibly a third unnamed victim or the actual murderer." Zane said, "I didn't mention it before, because the scent was faint, but while you were out interviewing Hofmann, I went and got a better whiff of the corpse, and my assumption was right. I made sure Palmer and Ducky were out of the room, so I snuck in and took in a deep breath. And I was right."

"I was amazed," Abby said, "but then Zane said to pull any security footage from yesterday and any records of people leaving the base, and we found records of a Navy Petty Officer leaving with them."

"His name is David Watkins, originally joined the Marines, until he suffered an injury during his training, after being discharged, he joined up with the Navy's research and development program. He never gave up on serving his country, instead of pulling triggers and snapping necks on the field of war, he thought should put his brains to work helping make new tech for us." Zane said.

"We're still sifting through Watkins' past for more evidence, or at least a more solid connection between him and the victims." Abby said.

"That's good work you two." Gibbs said as he walked out of the lab.

"Now you were telling me about your sister, I believe." Abby nudged Zane.

"She's nine years old, and her name is Samantha." Zane replied.

* * *

Director Jenny Shepard walked into the squad room, and found Gibbs coming back from forensics, "How is Abby adjusting to her new partner?" She asked.

"She hasn't wrapped him in duct tape yet." DiNozzo replied, "And they seem to be getting along like best friends."

"Have you read his file Director?" McGee asked.

"Yes," Jenny replied, "have you found out why Zane's the way he is, yet Agent McGee?"

"It says here it's post traumatic." Ziva said.

"That's right, and that's why I got aggressive earlier," Zane said walking into the bull pen wearing an odd full arm glove made of black leather and silver bands, and silver plates on the hand portion, "sorry about that by the way Agent DiNozzo. I just don't take hazing lightly."

The director looked at Gibbs, "He got aggressive?"

"He slid in behind me, hit me in the back and brought me to my knees." DiNozzo specified, "Those were some slick moves by the way."

"Thanks, T." Zane bowed his head, "I'll have to teach you them sometime."

"Zane," Director Shepard said, "I hope you enjoy working with the team, because as far as things go, you fit right in." She turned to Gibbs and said, "Nice to finally see a recruit who can hold his own against Tony."

* * *

Gibbs had called Zane up to the squad room again, "Zane. I need you to tell me a few things about these profiles and see if there's a deeper link between the first two victims and our missing person."

"Gibbs, I'm not good at that," Zane sighed heavily, "evidence processing is my thing, and kicking ass in the field, but I'm no good at analyzing and picking up on a," he slowed his speaking, "connection based on a person's profile." A sly smirk ran across his face.

"Then why are you smiling?" Gibbs asked.

"Because I'm related to a nine year old who can." Zane said. "She just so happens to be my little sister, Samantha."

* * *

Samantha was the opposite of what the team had expected to see, her sense of fashion resembled something from a Woodstock documentary. She wore a pair of sandals, a rainbow tie-dye shirt, a brown leather jacket with fringe, bell bottom jeans, a yellow bandana in her hair, a love bead and peace sign necklace, and a pair of rose tinted John Lennon sunglasses. Gibbs team asked themselves how a girl with a hippie's sensibility could have an older brother with a black streak as deep as the Marianas Trench like Zane.

She walked into the squad room with Zane accompanying her, "McGee," Zane said, "have you simplified those evidence samples to the level a kid age nine to thirteen can understand?"

"Sure have," McGee replied as he handed Zane the evidence and the scenario to Zane, "why did you need to simplify that again?"

"So I could help understand what happened," Samantha said, "I'm still learning like Zane did, I have a little process, man. Big bro and I will have the heavy jazz picked outta the garden of the case and search out the vibes of a connection, you dig?"

The team was surprised to hear a girl Samantha's age speaking with that much spirituality. They kept looking from Samantha to Zane and back again, until Zane said, "Yes, you three," Zane said with an annoyed tone, "she is my sister, she IS choosing to be a hippie, and she IS smart for her age. I was too and would have chosen the same path of life had it not been for the snake eyed, psychotic, low life hadn't killed my parents."

"And you'll never live that down until you catch the tiger and cage him," Samantha said, "until then learn to chill, Big bro."

"That's why you're my favorite family member, Sammy." Zane said tapping her on her nose making her giggle. "Now if you gentle people don't mind, we have a link to find, so if the Boss needs me, we'll be in Abby's lab. Sayonara."

* * *

In Abby's lab, the three energetic new friends were putting the multi-tasking on overdrive; they were talking, analyzing, processing, and connecting the dots. "I still can't believe big bro works with such a far out group like you guys." Samantha said.

"I still can't believe your sister's a hippie, Zane." Abby added.

"I still can't believe no one can believe that." Zane half laughed.

"I still can't believe this is taking so long." Gibbs said entering the lab.

"That's what you get for listening to big bro, Special Agent Gibbs," Samantha said, "never thinks things through."

"It's my first case with NCIS," Zane said, "It's a learning experience." He thumbed through the file and looked over the records on his laptop until he froze and said, "Jackpot!"

"Radical," Samantha said, "what did you find, Big bro?"

"Yeah, show and tell, Zane." Abby chimed in.

Zane smiled, "I found this number in both Carson's and Watkins' phone records." He brought it up on the plasma screen, "It's the number for a zoo in the state Washington." He continued.

"Talk about a serious fabrication," Abby said, "they must've planned this months in advance."

"Yeah," Gibbs said, "and Carson said he wanted nothing to do with it."

"Good man," Zane remarked, "never took to killing an animal."

"Right on." Samantha chimed in.

"Looks like the most recent calls to the zoo were around a week before Carson was killed." Gibbs said looking carefully at the screen.

"Whoa, man," Samantha said in shock looking at the financial records, "Carson and Watkins, both, dropped a heavy load of green to get their prize out here. They each poured out, like five thousand big ones for the bear alone and fifteen hundred more for the shipping." She looked at Zane and Gibbs, "They really thought ahead on this, 'cause I'm like blown away here. I feel, like, so sorry for that poor bear, you know? It's totally unbelievable that someone would betray the Man and hurt another living creature."

"We'll give Watkins a strong interrogation, you two," Gibbs said leaving the lab, "keep looking for more connections, we still need a motive."

"Yes, Sir!" The trio said in unison.

"Does he usually give of that man of mystery aura?" Samantha asked.

"Only on the days of the week that end in 'Y'," Zane said, "am I right Abs?"

Abby just smirked said, "Yup, pretty much."

* * *

Up in the squad room Ziva, McGee, and DiNozzo were discussing their disbelief of Zane being related to Samantha, "I definitely don't believe that Zane and Samantha are related." DiNozzo said.

"Why is that, Tony?" Ziva asked, "Zane said Samantha chose the path that he didn't take. How is that so hard to believe?"

"Yeah, Tony," McGee added, "I mean look at me and my sister, we turned out different."

"McGee is right," Ziva replied, "My brother and I were different too."

"Yes," DiNozzo retaliated, "but one thing about the four of you is that none of you were that combination of a fierce rebel and a Woodstock refugee. Those two types of people hate each other."

"What two types of people DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked as he swiftly walked to his desk.

"Poachers and Patriots, Boss." DiNozzo replied in hopes that Gibbs hadn't heard the original conversation.

"Yes," McGee added, "apparently our dead man's wife had known him several years ago. Apparently Carson was a member of the Navy, but his desire for a perilous hunt got the better of him. He was discharged after he was spotted hunting illegally in a game preserve in India; SECNAV was not impressed."

"Poaching is against the law, McGee," Gibbs said, "no one is ever impressed by it."

"Apparently the tigers he was hunting were displeased too," Zane said over the speaker phone.

"Yeah," Samantha said coming up from forensics, "after the dead dude down stairs was, like, given the boot from India, the tigers that he hadn't killed started sending out some seriously bad mojo and started attacking the fences like they were restless about something."

"Seems the tiger that Carson killed was the ambush's alpha tiger," Abby added.

"Ambush, I thought a group of big cats was called a pack." Tony said looking confused.

"Nope, you thought wrong dude." Samantha said, "Even big bro and I know that."

"You need to brush up on your animal terminology, DiNozzo." Gibbs said.

"Why should I need to know that, Boss?" Tony asked.

"'Cause I have the tendency of slapping people who don't know the correct terminology of that particular subject, DiNumbskull," Zane said over the speaker phone.

"Zane, how long have you been listening?" Tony asked.

"Long enough, Tony," Zane said popping his head around the corner of Tony's desk, "why?"

"How did you do that?" Tony asked feeling somewhat violated, "I didn't even hear you."

"Infiltration is one of my many talents, Tony," Zane replied placing a folder and a cup of coffee on Gibbs' desk, "We're gonna need the file on David Watkins, Boss. Samantha's gonna give it the thorough look through, to deepen the connection between our victims."

"I was wondering when you'd ask about that, Zane." Gibbs said handing Zane the folder.

"You're full of surprises, Special Agent Gibbs." Zane smirked, "Hey Sammy," Zane said waving the folder, "you in the mood for more mental puzzle solving?"

"I'm down with anything to solve a case, big bro." Samantha said going with Zane back to Abby's lab.

Tony was still in disbelief about Zane and Samantha, "Okay, am I the only one who does not believe that those two are related?" He asked.

"You think, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked as his phone rang, "Yeah, Gibbs."

"Jethro, I've found Carson's cause of death." Ducky said.

"I'm on my way, Duck." Gibbs replied heading to the elevator.

* * *

"Oh my poor fellow," Ducky said, "at least you passed doing something you love. Such is the unfortunate truth of most men in your current position."

"I thought this man was a poacher, Dr. Mallard," Palmer said questioningly.

"The emphasis is on was, Mr. Palmer," Ducky stated, "He turned over a new leaf in order to strengthen his relationship with his wife, or so Abby's new assistant has told me."

"Zane and his sister are surprising when they work together." Palmer smiled.

"Yes, and it should help speed the process of our poor victim's demise." Ducky said as he examined the gaping wounds in Carson's chest. "It's amazing how a man who changed his ways would be killed after participating in an equally illegal criminal act."

"You can take the man out of the woods, but you can't take the woods out of the man," Gibbs said walking through the doors to the morgue. "What have you got for me, Duck?"

"Well, Jethro," Ducky said, "I found a bullet hole in Carson's femur, it seems the poor fellow bled out through the back of his leg."

"So the bear didn't kill him?" Gibbs asked as he took a magnifying glass and observed the wound.

"Well, yes and no," Ducky replied, "the poor man blacked out from the trauma and fainted, the bear must have been focused on the scent of his blood on the ground."

"Carson was mauled after he lost consciousness." Gibbs concluded.

"Yes," Ducky said with a bittersweet tone, "he never had a chance. I'd say the shooter wanted Mr. Carson out of the way, and possibly Mr. Hofmann as well to tie up loose ends."

"BOSS," Zane exclaimed as he came into autopsy panting, "Abby, Sam, and I found the connection between the three involved with this case, but I can see you're busy discussing something with Ducky, I can wait out in the hall if…"

"Stay right there, Zane," Gibbs interrupted, "you were saying, Duck?"

"I just told you, Jethro," Ducky stated, "other than that, I have nothing else at the moment."

"Before I tell you what we found in forensics," Zane said as he walked over to the body, paying attention to the femoral damage, "Ducky, may I take a look at this wound?"

"Oh," Ducky said, "of course. I have no objections, be my guest."

Gibbs handed the magnifying glass to Zane who looked at it closely. "I knew it," he said, "The shotgun didn't kill him."

"How are you so sure, Zane?" Palmer asked.

"The answer is elementary, my dear Palmer." Zane said striking a Sherlock Holmes posture, "Our friend, Mr. Carson would have had his leg completely severed if it had been struck by a twelve gauge slug. This wound has a pattern that resembles an M1-Garand."

"I thought so," Ducky said. "That would explain the large chamber I found on the interior"

Gibbs looked at Zane, "Now, what have you got for me?"

"Get ready, Gibbs," Zane said, "This will open up some new doors in our dead man's life."


End file.
